Banana-crate.



UNITED STATES I Patented October l?, 1903.3'.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO SANSONE, OF KEOKUK, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN CHARLES AND FRANK SANSONUE,YOF KEOKUK, IOWA.

"' ,AlAhlA-oRATE;y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,551, dated October 13, 1,903.

Application filed January 15, 1903. Serial No. 139,217. (No model.)

A T aZZ whom t may concer-71,:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO SANsoNEa citizen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banana-Crates and I do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exa'ct'description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the sameg, f My invention is an improvedbanana packing and shipping case; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of vdevices hereinafter fully described, 'and pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a light, cheap, and simple packing and shipping shipped to the user and which is adapted to be readily placed in condition to contain a bunch of bananas for shipment and is entirely sufficient in protecting the bananas during transportation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, partly lin section, of a banana packing and shipping case embodying my improvements, showing the same in its folded condition when disposed for the reception of ay bunch of bananas. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showing the case in its original condition before being folded.

In the embodiment of my invention-Iconstruct the body of the packing andnshipping case of a single sheet of strawboard," cardboard, or other suitablevflexible material;1,

adapted to be folded inatubular cylindrical form, so that one of its side edges shall over-V In the embodiment, of my in-A *lower head is thus gathered and tied `it will g employed. On the inner side of the body por- Ition at a suitabledistance from the bottom thereof is secured the upper edge of the bot- 6o tom head', which may be composed of burlap, sacking, or other suitable-iiexible fabric.

The upper edge/of thelo'wer'or bott-om head' 6 is here shown as secured to the-bodyfportion of the case by stitching; but it may be'otherwise secured within the scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself in this particular. The case is further provided with a simi- `lar upper head 7, of burlap or other suitable flexible fabric.

It will be understood that'a number of my improved packing-cases, when the same are extended as shown in Fig. 2, may be disposed and packed one on top of another for storage or shipment, so as to occupy but little room, and hence myimproved packing and shipping cases may .bev packed and shipped when empty atrvery slight expense. Before using one of the' casesthe same'will be folded or rolled inta-tubular,cylindrical, or other suitable` form, as shown in Fig. l, its overlapping ledges securedtogether by the fasteners 4, and Vthe lower flexible head will be gathered and tied by a string, as shown in-V Fig. 1, to adaptv the lower head -to supportthe weight .of the bunch of bananas placed in the case. The upper edge of the lower head -is `secured in the body portion 1 at'such ,a distance from thelower edge of'the latter that when the 9e prevent the bottom of the bunch of'bananas from coming in contact with the door on which the case stands: They upper side of the case after the bunch of bananas has been placed therein will be also gathered and tied, as shown. e

From the foregoing description., taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of myimproved banana-crate will be readily apparent without requiring a more extended explanation.

IOO

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A case of` the class described, comprising a relatively sti body portion adapted to be rolled into tubular form, having means to detachably secure its opposite side edges together in overlapping relation and'provided with reinforcing-bands on its outer side secured thereto by the said securing means, and heads of flexible fabric secured to the upper and lower portions ofsaid relatively stiff" body portion, substantially as described.

, 2. Ablank forafrnit-cratecomprisingarelatively stiff rectangular body portion adapted to be rolled in tubular form and having means to detachably secure its opposite sides together when said sides are overlapped, the rectangular strip of fabric projecting outwardly from, and having its inner side secured to the said body near the upper end thereof and a similar strip of fabric lying Wholly within the said body and having its inner side secured thereto, said strip being otherwise disconnected from saidbody, said fabric strips being both on the same side of the said body, substantially as described.

3. A blank for a fruit-crate comprising a relatively stift rectangular body portion adapted to be rolled in tubular form and having means to detachably secure its opposite sides togetherwhen said sides are overlapped, therectangular strip of fabric projecting out- Wardly from, and having itsinner side secured to the said body near the upper end thereof, and a similar strip of fabric lying wholly within the said body and having its inner side secured thereto, said strip being otherwise disconnected from said body, said fabric strips being both on the same side of the body, and reinforcing-bands on the 0pposite side of the body and at points where the fabric strips are secured thereto, said reinforcing-bands being secured to the said body by the said securing means.

4. A blank for a fruit-crate comprising a relatively stiff rectangular body portion adapted to be rolled in tubular form, a rectangular iiexible fabric strip 7 projecting from the upper end of said body portion and having its lower edge secured thereto on its inner side, a bottom fabric stripG of flexible material on the inner side of the said body portion, Wholly Within the boundaries thereof and having its upper edge secured thereto, reinforcing-bands on the outer side of the body portion, extending from side to side thereof, and fastening devices adapted to secure the sides of the said body portion together when the same are overlapped and the body portion is rolled in tubular form, said fastening devices also securing the reinforcing-bands to the said body portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ANTONIO SANSONE. Witnesses:

W. J. ROBERTS, HILLHoUsE BUEL. 

